Deleted
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Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2015 21:07:36 GMT -8
Like all cities, Gaiaton is not all rainbows and sunshine, and like all mountains, there are caverns as well.
Down here in Gaiaton is where the sick that must live with their ailments are quarantined, the Sullied as they are called. They are an imbalanced people, half-whole as believed by the Upper Gaiaton. They are lepers, diseased, and the unsuitable.
Here, crime is rampant, as there is no watch. It is an old custom that usually baffles those who come to visit Gaiaton and see most of its beauty. The City Lower is like a disgusting boil hidden beneath a beautiful robe, and yet... the Black Market that taints Atlanticus seems to have its roots here.
For all that Gaiaton is bursting in wealth of its silks and its spices and its fruits and its food, there is a dangerous side to Gaiaton that is bedmates with the Sick and the Scarred... |
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 19:27:06 GMT -8
Of course Rafaela had given Inam the slip.
It took an hour for the sly fetcher to sober up, but once she did, it had been all too easy. Having Robert in Gaiaton complicated things, not to mention all the foreigners, but Rafaela was hoping she could right her mistake and have this whole nightmare be finished.
She had sent the message to Opong, and she hadn't been aware that a special council meeting was being held there. They were to meet in their usual place, an old storage building in the City Lower that had formally belonged to Inana.
After all, they were all in it together. Rafaela planted a candle in the window, given the dark hour. And then she waited, pacing, for either one of her employers to show.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 19:32:03 GMT -8
Opong was the first to arrive, swathed in dark clothing, no riches worn so they could not gleam in the candlelight. He passed over the sick and the wretched of Lower Gaiaton, pausing every once in a while to make sure he wasn't being followed. He was decently adept at this, considering how long he and his partner had been runing the black market of Gaiaton.
He slipped into the storage house where Rafaela waited, and he sneered at her.
"You were supposed to be five thousand miles away by now. You were paid well enough to be gone. Why are you back?" It was not a friendly meeting.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 19:36:36 GMT -8
Rafaela looked at the dark figure that entered the room. She recognized him by voice if she couldn't see his features in the low flicker of the candle.
"Where is Inana? You both will need to hear what I have to say."
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 20:20:41 GMT -8
Opong took a menacing step closer to Rafaela. "Say his name again, and i will cut your throat."
He moved towards the candle and blew it out, then looked at Rafaela once more. "Speak wisely. Your presence here is not something either of us want."
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:01:28 GMT -8
Rafaela wasn't intimidated by Opong. She knew that she could out maneuver him, and easily. After all, her skillset was one of the reasons they had hired her. And, of course, she came highly recommended by parties that shared in the darkness that Opong and Inana liked to work in. A month ago, Rafaela would have been proud of that, but that was before the Demon and the Pitch.
"I have come to give your statue back. I don't want it." She took the figure out of her satchel and set it down with a chime of heavy metal beneath the thin layer of blue cloth that was wrapped around it.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:14:02 GMT -8
Opong stepped back from the blue-wrapped little statue like it was a venomous snake.
"We don't want that!" Opong spat. "It was supposed to be thousands of miles away by now. Why didn't you sell it? It could have made you a queen." The man seemed seriousy confused and very much in metaphorical pain.
This was NOT part of the plan.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:20:31 GMT -8
"You don't think I tried?!" Asked Rafaela, frustrated. This was not a situation she wanted to find herself in, either. She was selfish, and at times cruel, but this 'bargain' she had made was the most evil thing she had ever done, and she had stupidly done it without even realizig.
"I TRIED to sell it, but no one would buy it. It was like the thing was curse, and lo, I found out -- it is!!" She threw her arms open wide at Opong. "So I want out. You take it back. I don't want anything to do with it."
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:27:59 GMT -8
"Sh sh sh sh shhh," Opong said to Rafaela. "Keep your voice down."
He stepped even closer to Rafaela in the darkness of the room, and he spoke very quietly. "We struck a bargain," Opong said quietly. "We told you where to get that statue, and you plundered it. You were all too willing to get your filthy hands on it, and true to your reputation, you asked very little questions. Except, of course, for a finder's fee that was very, very rich indeed. Where is the sack of gold coins to go with the statue, hm?"
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:36:23 GMT -8
Every word Opong spoke was the truth. Rafaela had asked little to no questions, and had gone after the statue made of pure gold with child like zeal. It had been easy save for a few of ancient but predictable booby traps she had left unsprung.
Rafaela didn't realize the trouble she was in until she saw how potential buyers reacted. It was obvious that they wanted the gorgeous statue, but it was even more obvious that for some reason that baffled even themselves, they could not buy it.
Then, she heard the rumors and gossip from Gaiaton, about the Guardians that seemed to be looking for something. When she realized that she and her employers might have caused this, she had come back to give the statue back.
Rafaela hadn't yet realized, until this very moment, that her employers had WANTED this to happen, that they were HOPING the beasts would attack.
"You... wanted this to happen," Rafaela said quietly, and she slowly reached down to pick up the statue.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 7:44:09 GMT -8
"I wouldn't touch that, were I you," came Inana's voice from the dark behind Rafaela. He had arrived, after making sure that one of his associates visited the Mayor.
With him were three more associates that bled into the shadows around Rafaela. Inana stood before the secret entrance at the back of the storage room, and Opong at its front. Both were now in darker clothing, and none in the room were happy to see Rafaela or the statue again.
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Fenris
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 256 
Registered: May 5, 2015 12:22:19 GMT -8
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Post by Fenris on Nov 23, 2015 10:52:31 GMT -8
Fenris moved like a shadow in the night. He had gotten a whiff of Rafaela's scent courtesy of Inana's daughter Inam. He had followed it quite quickly to the source, tracking it to this location. He was silently, crouched down, and was not in a hurry too get noticed, but if he did, well... If he could not avoid getting noticed, then he would make sure EVERYONE would notice before he was done. The storage-house was not too much further off. The scent of Inana further confirmed his suspicions at least he knew he was on the right track... A blade formed in his left hand, a langes-messer or "long-knife" with a crossguard that was hidden by his cloak, as his hood was drawn up.
He moved towards the entrance of the storehouse, seeking to find a way inside, as faint voices might be picked up by his keen hearing...
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Robert Fletcher
Dedicated
Robert's assistant: https://i.imgur.com/mvP7J3d.png
Roleplay posts: 376
Age: 22
Physical Description: White hair, fancy clothes, strong jawline. Robert is fairly attractive, but thinks he's much more handsome than he actually is. He has scars on his chest from stab wounds that he never talks about, although women are usually impressed by them.
Clothes and Equipment: Expensive, custom tailored clothes. He's fairly rich and carries around a shiny knife. The clothes are armored, but the plates are well hidden.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 14, 2015 16:15:01 GMT -8
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Post by Robert Fletcher on Nov 23, 2015 12:48:43 GMT -8
Robert follows a little ways behind Fenris, although somewhat less sneakily. His fancy clothing stand out in the dark slum, and Bennik stands out even more. He looks around for his cousin, hearing faint voices from inside the storehouse.
"Inam, where are we?"
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Kinzokan Krypt
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 129
Physical Description: Kinzokan Krypt is a seven foot tall beast of muscle, violent scars and a wild mane of dark hair. Almost legendary for his status as a veteran of many battlefields, Krypt is known for his exceptional skill and combat prowess and because of his dark, ashen-coloured skin he is referred to in mercenary circles as "Kinzokan the Black".
He originally hailed from a volcanic land devastated by fire, brimstone, magma and ash and as such, his people are known as the Ashkin. Due to spending their entire lives surrounded by scorching heat and with little water that isn't boiling or steamed, the Ashkin are nigh impervious to fire and its effects and their skin has thus thickened and hardened into an almost naturally armoured hide. Such is the toughness of an Ashkin that only the sharpest of weapons, or the strongest of their wielders, could cut deep and hard enough to draw blood or cause serious injury. Yet in the volcanic wastes, such a defense isn't only advantageous, but necessary - for each day would bring the Ashkin tribes into contact with the aggressive, giant, reptilian monsters who ruled the ashlands as ever-starving kings.
Registered: Nov 10, 2015 20:24:36 GMT -8
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Post by Kinzokan Krypt on Nov 23, 2015 16:25:29 GMT -8
Krypt had followed Inana successfully, moving only as close as he needed to be to not lose the man. With his dark fur cloak and his grey skin, the night was his natural ally, and for a man of his size he moved with a surprising degree of silence.
He stalked the man down to the lower levels of the city, where it only became easier for him to work; the depraved alleyways and deserted streets, where every nook and cranny was a place to hide. Inana would almost certainly not notice him, not without a superb degree of sensory mastery or paranoia.
And so it was that when Inana and his companion came upon the secret entrance to the storage facility, Krypt saw exactly where it was and how to use it, though he would not yet move in. He could hear multiple voices, so he resigned himself to the deeper shadows, where his outline would blend in with the night and some sort of crate could hide him from direct view. Even so, he slowly drew the sword of bone at his hip, prepared to spring out and into action like a lion in the grass.
For now, he would listen and uncover what he could. With every passing second, he became more and more convinced of a conspiracy.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 17:28:04 GMT -8
"I was just going to take it and leave," Rafaela said casually, although she stood tall again, trying to be casual. She smiled at them, cocky and over sure of herself; an act. "But if I had known you were wanting to throw a party..."
She KICKED the statue as hard as she could, making it whip through the air and smack into one of the men's knees. With a sliding step, she came close to another near her and SLAMMED her elbow into the man's chest, dropping her arm and reaching for the dagger he had sheathed at his hip. She twisted at her hips and flung the dagger, impaling one man's hand into the floor as he had tried to reach for the toppled statue, then quickly ducked as the second man tried to tackle her down.
Opong, Inana, and Rafaela were the only three left standing for a moment, and Rafaela held her breath and dove for the statue, coming up again in a tumble.
"Don't just stand there!" bellowed Inana, ripping the knife out of the man's hand and shoving them both after Rafaela, who was barrelling down the back passage ways. Opong was about to go chasing after her, too, but Inana braced a large hand on his chest.
"Not. You." There was a deadly gleam in Inana's eyes.
Rafaela turned down another dark corridor and came up to a wooden door. "Shit, shit, shit!" she cried, and stepped back to KICK, KICK, KICK at the door until it came undone. Even so, she was tackled out into the alleyway of the City Lower, and the blue-wrapped statue in her arms cling-clanged off the floor as she grappled with her capture and tried to pit her strength against his as he aimed a knife towards her throat.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 3:48:22 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 17:32:10 GMT -8
Inam frowned at Robert when he stated it was dangerous for her in the city; she didn't feel like she was in danger at all, now that Robert wasn't mad at her. But his charming smile was directed Inam's way, and his eyes were so pretty and he was holding her close.
"Alright," Inam almost swooned for Robert. Holding hands, they went after Fenris. Inam was no master of stealth either, and when she saw where they were going, she hesitated and almost yanked on Robert's hand.
"Oh no, why would we go in there?!" She asked, and began to mutter something beneath her breath, making a motion of protection over her body, and over Robert's to. And after a pause, over the white, fire-breathing peacock, Bennik, that was traveling with them.
"This is where the Sullied are. The Unclean. The Wretched," Inam said, dropping her voice to a whisper when she saw someone from an alleyway looking at them from beneath the rags on his face. "The diseased and the unwhole live here," she whispered into Robert's ear. "Why would Rafaela be HERE of all places?"
They paused when Fenris paused.
"What is he doing?" Inam asked, and not very stealthily.
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Fenris
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 256
Registered: May 5, 2015 12:22:19 GMT -8
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Post by Fenris on Nov 23, 2015 17:52:40 GMT -8
Fenris was about to turn to Robert and Inam to tell them to hang back, when he caught the sight of Krypt moving, and narrowed his gaze. "I think you two should stay behind... Things might get nasty, and quite frankly surprise is worth a lot." That was when he picked up the sounds of a scuffle, and took off towards the Alley nearby, his blade in his left hand, seeking to grip the person who was now tackling Rafaela grabbing his wrist from behind stealthily as if he had been there all along. Doing so with his right hand, and then placing his blade along the mans now vulnerable underarm where a vital artery lay. "No." he then looked at Rafaela. "So I take it you're the one those two were looking for... Whats going on?" he asked.
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Kinzokan Krypt
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 129
Physical Description: Kinzokan Krypt is a seven foot tall beast of muscle, violent scars and a wild mane of dark hair. Almost legendary for his status as a veteran of many battlefields, Krypt is known for his exceptional skill and combat prowess and because of his dark, ashen-coloured skin he is referred to in mercenary circles as "Kinzokan the Black".
He originally hailed from a volcanic land devastated by fire, brimstone, magma and ash and as such, his people are known as the Ashkin. Due to spending their entire lives surrounded by scorching heat and with little water that isn't boiling or steamed, the Ashkin are nigh impervious to fire and its effects and their skin has thus thickened and hardened into an almost naturally armoured hide. Such is the toughness of an Ashkin that only the sharpest of weapons, or the strongest of their wielders, could cut deep and hard enough to draw blood or cause serious injury. Yet in the volcanic wastes, such a defense isn't only advantageous, but necessary - for each day would bring the Ashkin tribes into contact with the aggressive, giant, reptilian monsters who ruled the ashlands as ever-starving kings.
Registered: Nov 10, 2015 20:24:36 GMT -8
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Post by Kinzokan Krypt on Nov 23, 2015 17:57:43 GMT -8
Fighting. Krypt heard it resounding through the building, the thuds, the yelling and screams reaching his ears through the familiarity of endless war. However, he did not act until the door to the alleyway was forced open and a woman and her pursuer came tumbling out of it and fighting. He had no idea who they were, or whose side he should be on, but basic courtesy told him to save the one with a dagger being pushed towards her throat.
So he leapt into action, vaulting over the crate with sword in hand and then leaping sideways in a sprint towards the two the very instant his foot touched the ground. He got close, slid around to the back of the attacker, raised his sword with both hands and swung it down so as to catch him in the back and incapacitate him with a nasty wound. The timing of his strike seemed to coincide almost perfectly with Fenris' appearance and his attempt to capture the man unharmed; Krypt cared little for that, on top of the event being too sudden for him to take into account and redirect his efforts. Instead, he merely tried to avoid hitting Fenris.
He said nothing, preferring instead to end the fight before potentially wasting his breath.
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Robert Fletcher
Dedicated
Robert's assistant: https://i.imgur.com/mvP7J3d.png
Roleplay posts: 376
Age: 22
Physical Description: White hair, fancy clothes, strong jawline. Robert is fairly attractive, but thinks he's much more handsome than he actually is. He has scars on his chest from stab wounds that he never talks about, although women are usually impressed by them.
Clothes and Equipment: Expensive, custom tailored clothes. He's fairly rich and carries around a shiny knife. The clothes are armored, but the plates are well hidden.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 14, 2015 16:15:01 GMT -8
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Post by Robert Fletcher on Nov 23, 2015 18:35:30 GMT -8
Robert jumps back, away from the fighting. Grabbing Inam with one arm and Bennik under the other, he drags the both of them back around the corner of the alley.
"Shh...you should stay back. It's dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."
Peeking around the corner, he shudders.
"I didn't think it would come to this. Knives out and everything..."
Turning back to Inam, he slides a finger gently under her chin, tilting her face up towards his.
"Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt. Neither will Bennik."
The peacock lets out a chirp of agreement, as well as a small puff of fire.
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Lieutenant Gunndís Ehrensvärd
Established
Roleplay posts: 17 
Age: 27
Physical Description: =========================
Standing at a height of 6 feet tall, Lieutenant Gunndìs Ehrensvärd is 13 stone of pure Varan muscle. She has long, well-kept silver-grey hair usually styled into a tight ponytail and cold, piercing silver eyes that rarely display her emotional state. Her features are strong and cut, and her eyebrows are perpetually curved inward, adding to her intense appearance. Her figure is athletic and lithe, and her body is marred in many places by battlescars, displaying well her violent and brutal history. Most notable is the short but thick and deep scar below her right ribcage, invisible when she's fully dressed, clearly caused by a long leaf-bladed pike.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Gunndìs dresses in utilitarian brown leather clothing outside of battle, supplemented by a long, fur-lined handmade coat and thick winter boots when in her frozen homeland of Aesgir. In battle, she wears heavy steel half-plate over chain maille and leather, and her weapon of choice is a long, ancient-looking but well cared for blade of razor sharp steel, a family heirloom called "Claw". She also wears grey-green warpaint in the shape of slashes across her face in battle, giving her an even more fearsome appearance.
Registered: Nov 22, 2015 20:18:23 GMT -8
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Post by Lieutenant Gunndís Ehrensvärd on Nov 23, 2015 19:52:41 GMT -8
Gunndìs Ehrensvärd, former Varan Lieutenant gone freelance sellsword, has somehow found herself wandering through the city lower, her steely gaze sweeping across the slum as she walks. She's been contracted to hunt down a petty band of criminals thought to be hiding out in the area. The pay for completion of the job is meagre and the slum she's forced to trek through thoroughly unpleasant, but it gives her something to do for the time being. And it got her away from the horrid humidity. As a Varan born and raised in Aesgir, the conditions in this place were the bane of her sanity.
Suddenly her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of battle nearby. She grimaces and dashes off down the alley from which the clattering of blades and grunts emanates, quickly drawing Claw, her razor sharp ancient steel longsword, holding it at the ready as she steps over the kicked down door into the building in which Rafaela fights. "What in the seven hells is going on here?" growls the She-Bear loudly, her piercing silver eyes demanding answers from the clashing forces. Unlike Krypt, she will not be so hasty to engage if she doesn't need to, far less so with no knowledge of the situation.
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